Analysis Ties SNAP Child Enrollment Drop To New Federal Rules
An analysis finds more than 1.2 million children lost SNAP benefits since July 2025, and experts say new federal rules are the main cause.[1]
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates those losses occurred in 25 states and says the national total is likely above 1.5 million.[1] Children made up about 43 percent of the recent decline in the reported states, and by state they accounted for between 28 percent and 77 percent of disenrollments.[1]
Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill imposed an 80-hour-per-month work requirement for many adults aged 18 to 64 who live with older children.[1] The law also shifts administrative costs to states in 2027, prompting some states to tighten documentation and recertification practices that advocates say have led to mass disenrollments.[1]
Experts warn the wave of disenrollments could worsen child food insecurity and has prompted calls for federal and state fixes to ease paperwork and recertification burdens.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- Between July 2025 and the most recent 2026 data, CBPP estimates over 1.2 million children lost SNAP benefits in 25 states, with the real total likely above 1.5 million nationwide.
- Children make up about 43 percent of the total recent decline in SNAP participation in those states and between 28 and 77 percent of disenrolled participants by state.
- Experts attribute much of the drop to new SNAP rules in Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill, including 80-hour-per-month work requirements for many adults 18-64 with older children and a 2027 cost-shift that is leading states to tighten documentation and recertification practices.
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